Industry is consistently moving away from wood and metal structural members and panels, particularly in the vehicle manufacturing industry. Such wood and metal structural members and panels have high weight to strength ratios. In other words, the higher the strength of the wood and metal structural members and panels, the higher the weight. The resulting demand for alternative material structural members and panels has, thus, risen proportionately. Because of their low weight to strength ratios, as well as their corrosion resistance, such non-metallic panels have become particularly useful as structural members in the vehicle manufacturing industry as well as office structures industry, for example.
Often such non-metallic materials are in the form of composite structures or panels which are moldable into three-dimensional shapes for use in any variety of purposes. It would, thus, be beneficial to provide a composite material structure that has high strength using oriented and/or non-oriented fibers with bonding agents having compatible chemistries to provide a strong bond across the composite's layers. It would be further beneficial to provide a manufacturing and finish coating process for such structures in some embodiments.
It will be appreciated that the prior art includes many types of laminated composite panels and manufacturing processes for the same. U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,253, filed on Mar. 30, 1984, entitled High Impact Strength Fiber Resin Matrix Composites, U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,804, filed on May 22, 1990, entitled Interleaf Layer Fiber Reinforced Resin Laminate Composites, U.S. Pat. No. 6,180,206 B1, filed on Sep. 14, 1998, entitled Composite Honeycomb Sandwich Panel for Fixed Leading Edges, U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,925, filed on May 10, 1996, entitled Multi-Layered Panel Having a Core Including Natural Fibers and Method of Producing the Same, U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,947, filed Oct. 5, 1981, entitled Laminated Composite Structure and Method of Manufacture, U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,087, filed on Mar. 13, 1992, entitled Method of Making a Composite Structure, U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,903, filed on Sep. 16, 1993, entitled Automotive Headliner Panel and Method of Making Same, U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,583, filed on Nov. 14, 1991, entitled Method of and Apparatus for Continuously Fabricating Laminates, U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,847, filed on May 6, 1983, entitled Method for the Continuous Production of Laminates, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,256, filed on May 17, 1994, entitled Method of Making a Headliner and the Like, are all incorporated herein by reference to establish the nature and characteristics of such laminated composite panels and manufacturing processes herein. It would be beneficial to provide a structural board that has fire retardant properties, as well as provide methods of making the panel.
An illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure provides a low-density fire retardant structural board which comprises a body of fibrous material, a binder and fire retardant agent. The body of fibrous material includes a weight, first and second ends, first and second sides and a thickness. The fibrous material is dispersed throughout the thickness of the body. The binder is dispersed throughout the thickness of the body. The fire retardant agent is dispersed between individual fibers of the fibrous material and throughout the thickness of the body.
In the above and other embodiments, the fire retardant structural board may further comprise: the fire retardant agent comprising borate; the fire retardant agent comprising phosphate; the binder being an epoxy; the fibrous material being a natural fiber material; the fibrous material being a synthetic fiber material; the structural board being rated at least Class B according to ASTM International Fire Test E-84; the fire retardant agent being in a concentration from about 5% to about 30% based on the weight of the body of fibrous material; the binder being in a concentration from about 5% to about 30% based on the weight of the body of fibrous material; the body further comprising a surface having a fire retardant composition applied thereon; any portion of the surface that is to be exposed to flame, be completely coated with the applied fire retardant composition; the applied fire retardant composition comprising a borate in a concentration from about 10% to about 40% based on the weight of the body of fibrous material; and the fire retardant composition comprising a phosphate in a concentration from about 10% to about 50% based on the weight of the body of fibrous material.
Another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure provides a low-density fire retardant structural board which comprises a body of fibrous material, a binder, a fire retardant agent, and a fire retardant composition. The body of fibrous material has a weight, first and second ends, first and second sides, first and second surfaces, and a thickness. The fibrous material is dispersed throughout the thickness of the body. The binder is dispersed throughout the thickness of the body. The fire retardant agent dispersed between individual fibers of the fibrous material and throughout the thickness of the body. The fire retardant composition is applied to the first surface of the body.
In the above and other embodiments, the fire retardant structural board may further comprise: the fire retardant composition being applied to the second surface of the body; wherein the fire retardant agent comprising a borate; the fire retardant agent comprising a phosphate; the binder being an epoxy; the structural board being rated at least class A according to ASTM International Fire Test E-84; the fire retardant agent being in a concentration from about 5% to about 30% based on the weight of the body of fibrous material; the binder being in a concentration from about 5% to about 30% based on the weight of the body of fibrous material; the applied fire retardant composition comprising a borate that is in a concentration from about 10% to about 40% based on the weight of the body of fibrous material; the fire retardant composition comprising a phosphate that is in a concentration from about 10% to about 50% based on the weight of the body of fibrous material; and any portion of the surface that is to be exposed to flame, be completely coated with the applied fire retardant composition.
Another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a low-density fire retardant structural board, the method comprising the steps of: providing a structural mat having a weight, thickness, first and second surfaces, and comprising a fibrous material dispersed throughout the thickness of the mat; applying a binder into the thickness of the mat from the first surface of the structural mat; applying a fire retardant material into the thickness of the mat from the first surface of the structural mat; heating the structural mat; applying a binder into the thickness of the mat from the second surface of the structural mat; and applying a fire retardant material into the thickness of the mat from the second surface of the structural mat to cure the fire retardant material.
In the above and other embodiments, the fire retardant structural board may further comprise the steps of: blowing the binder and the fire retardant material onto the mat, and applying a vacuum underneath the mat opposite the blown binder and fire retardant material to draw the binder and the fire retardant material into the thickness of the mat; heating the structural mat by applying hot air at about 350 degrees F. for about 30 seconds; facing the first surface of the mat upward; further comprising the steps of rotating the mat so the second surface of the mat faces upward; collecting the binder and fire retardant material not applied at the first surface of the mat, and applying them to the second surface of the mat; using the binder and fire retardant material collected and not used on first surface of the mat; blowing the binder and fire retardant material onto the second surface of the mat; applying a vacuum underneath the mat and opposite the blown binder and fire retardant material to draw the binder and the fire retardant material into the thickness of the mat; applying a liquid fire retardant material to the mat and curing the liquid fire retardant material; providing the liquid fire retardant material with a borate that is in a concentration from about 10% to about 40% based on the weight of the body of fibrous material; and providing the liquid fire retardant material with a phosphate that is in a concentration from about 10% to about 50% based on the weight of the body of fibrous material.
Additional features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrated embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out such embodiments as presently perceived.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates several embodiments, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure in any manner.